In Fact
by anipwrites
Summary: Sometimes, people don't truly change. Sometimes bad people stay bad people. Sometimes, bad people try to become better people but ultimately can't let go of old habits. Sometimes bad people just evolve to become worse people. Nathaniel Kurtzberg is learning this the hard way, with the girl he loved and thought had loved him.


Okay so picture this.

Its been like a month since I've so much as touched an ML fic. I need to work on them, I know I need to work on them, but I'm stuck. I'm stuck on like every single thing I have tried to write in the history of existence. I've listened to one song by a band and though "hey this is a good song. maybe I should listen to more." So I hit the first one I see in the recommended section aaaaand all of a sudden I'm writing _this shit_.

Feel free to thank the Youtube comments section for this fic. And the band Gregory and the Hawk.

Welcome to In Fact, inspired by the song In Fact by Gregory and the Hawk.

* * *

Nathaniel slammed the door closed behind him, rushing down the stairs and to the outdoors. The stinging cold of the wintry air stung against his flushed face. He needed to take a fucking walk. Just his luck, his jacket was upstairs, but he wasn't going back, at least not for awhile. He couldn't.

He kicked at a pile of snow, but didn't feel satisfied. Honestly, the cold out here felt just as cold as the apartment he was leaving. Why did he think it was a good idea to move in with his childhood bully? Why did he think it was smart to date her in the first place?

"She's changed!" Everyone used to declare. For awhile, it even seemed true. After Queen Bee showed up, she had started acting a bit nicer. More tolerable, not as much of a prick. No one trusted it at first- - it was probably just a ruse. Nathaniel was more than familiar with the old childhood jokes, pretending to be nice for a bit and then stomping on everyone underfoot. But when two weeks became two months, no one thought someone could hold out _that long_ for a joke. They started to trust her.

Nathaniel, unfortunately, fell in love with her.

To be more precise, he fell in love with Queen Bee. But when he happened to catch her transforming in the park, he was forced to face the fact that the hero he'd been doodling all over his sketchbooks and drawing comics for was... His bully.

"I've changed. Really." Chloe had once told him, holding his hand, sapphire blue eyes locked with his. Her thumb rubbed his, his doubts slowly ebbing away with each stroke. He should have doubted harder.

They were dating by that time next week. And things were okay. She was nice, he was himself. Then... she started pushing him. At first, it was joking. Then pushing lead to pinching, and yelling, and demanding every second of his time, and more yelling. Why he had stayed, he didn't know. But he did, against the concerned looks his parents gave him. All through the rest of Lycèe, and the beginnings of university.

Renting an apartment together seemed smart-why pay for two separate places if they could just share one? Even though Chloe never paid a cent. Having her close, at the time, made him feel like maybe... maybe she still loved him. She wouldn't stay if she didn't... Right?

Turns out, she _didn't_ stay. He didn't even find out until he'd stayed home sick, and opened the front door to find an upperclassman from her university standing there asking if she was ready for their night out.

All Nathaniel wanted was a dumb apology from her. He never asked anything more. For years, he put up with the screaming and the punches- - both physical and emotional- - and all he wanted in return was loyalty. Though he couldn't say he hadn't dreamed of being with others, someone who was kinder, he never... he'd never acted on it.

Maybe he should. It was starting to look like it was high time he broke up with her, considering the bruises on his chest, the days he'd spent hiding in his room from his own girlfriend.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He didn't _want_ to look, but sighed and pulled it out anyways. Thankfully, it was from Rose, and not the _other_ blonde he was expecting it to be.

Rose Lavillant: Nathaniel? Me and Juleka were out for dinner and... did you break up with Chloe?

Below the message was a picture, clearly taken by someone who was trying not to look like they were taking a picture. But it was enough to show Chloe Bourgeois sitting across the table from that upperclassman, whatever his name was.

 _'I thought she said he stopped talking to him?'_ he thought, feeling tears burning at the corners of his eyes. Wouldn't be the first time she'd lied to him.

She was wearing a dress he hadn't seen her in before, and hadn't bought for her. Her makeup showed far more effort than anything she'd put forth for any of their (failed) dates for a long time. And the smile on her face... was what he used to see, years ago, in the beginning.

He made his decision.

You: No, but it's about time I did, huh?

* * *

Nathaniel stepped back into the apartment and felt a chill go down his spine. He felt colder in here than he ever did during his entire thirty minute walk outside. Sometimes he couldn't help but wish that Chloe would just light him on fire already, show physically just how much she hated him.

But then he walked into his room, and realized she already had.

Every sketchbook was torn to shreds across the floor, all his inks and paints thrown across the room, covering everything in vibrant colors and deep blacks. All his paintings and canvasses were slashed up and scattered amongst the mess. His pens, pencils, paintbrushes, anything she knew he'd needed for his art school, lay smashed across the floor.

He sat on his bed and cried.

* * *

When he'd finished, what felt like hours later, he didn't get revenge. He didn't even feel like he _wanted_ to. He just felt... numb.

So instead of trashing all of those nice clothes she had in her closet, he reached in his, and grabbed his suitcase. He folded as many of his clothes as he could fit in it, trying to avoid getting paint on his shoes. When he had finished fitting everything he could (that was still worth something) into his suitcase and backpack, he called his parents.

He called them, begging for forgiveness for a crime, he was slowly beginning to realize, he didn't commit. He was the victim. The word 'abuse' had floated around in classes and conversations and movies more than once, and every time, it had sent a twinge down his spine. Because Chloe would have him believe that _he_ wasn't taking proper care of _her_ , and _that_ was why she did what she did. She kicked and slapped and screamed and belittled because he wasn't treating her like a princess, the way everyone else in her life had. It didn't add up- - but he hadn't checked the math until today.

His parents were more than happy to welcome him back into their home. He just had to try and get a job, get himself together again. And he would- - he _wanted_ to.

His next move was to grab his stuff, head downstairs, and call a taxi. Sitting on the curb, amongst snowdrifts, sans jacket, he felt warmer than he had in a long, long time.

* * *

 _But if you've got time anyway,_

 _Why not watch me hurt?_

 _And nothing is sweeter than needed revenge._

 _Oh that's right_

 _I did nothing, and you were the mean one._

 _In fact, you even broke my good tape deck._

 _In fact, I don't want to be friends._

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed this story! Huge thanks to flautist4ever, zoozoocala, and wishfulina for betaing this for me!

Feel free to fav or leave a comment! Though, there's not much point in following the story, because I have no plans to continue it.

I hope you all have a nice day!

www. youtube watch?v=pUHywRVMEwo


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